The Matrix: NEOADMERRUNG
by miyth Valon
Summary: Just remember the truth... 'What truth'...There is no spoon... Strange, how small things influence the future. This is the story of that orphan and his fight, 10 years after Revoltuions. The Matrix has been rebooted, and a new struggle is coming.
1. The Beginning of the End?

He sat there in his chair.... Waiting for the opportune moment to begin.... He stared at the wall... and at the energy ball sitting in his hand. His focus was high. He concentrated his mind until it was focused on nothing but the energy ball, and the room around him. He stared at the wall, raised the hand with the energy ball in it... and threw the ball.  
  
It bounced off against the wall, it was coming right back at him... right at his face. It was but and inch away when... he caught it. He turned around in his chair and threw it again. It once again bounced off the wall and once again was coming right at him. He wanted this exercise to be executed as if it were one continuous motion... he would move in circles and each of his movements would follow up his next maneuver.  
  
The ball composed of energy was returning. He caught it with his left hand. With his free hand he set the level trainer to level five. He then bounced the ball off the ground. It bounced in the same spots for a while then it changed its direction. With each level change, the energy ball became heavier, smoother, and more resilient. It moved form the ceiling and hit the corner of one wall it bounced on the left direction to another wall and all the while he was watching. It bounced right at him but he did not go to catch it instead he moved away from it. He was sitting close to the back wall of the room; the energy ball bounced off that wall and almost as soon as it bounced off his hand was in the air with the ball of energy in his hand. He now set the level to ten... the hardest level. On level ten the energy ball was the heaviest, the smoothest, the most resilient, and also potentially lethal....  
  
He threw the ball down waiting to catch his senses, and off it went. In a matter of five seconds that energy ball had bounced off the floor and the ceiling fifty times. It shifted position. It was bouncing around the room. He was now going to practice dodging, which was extremely hard on level ten.... The ball bounced in a multitude of directions. It made its way towards him, flew right towards him almost as fast as a bullet. He dodged with ease... to a certain extent. It bounced off another wall this time he ducked almost as soon as he was coming up the energy ball was at him again, getting faster and more powerful as it bounced more and more. It was coming at him... he leaned back as fast as he could, his move was successful a second later it was at him again and he was moving again. He now was leaning and ducking and dodging so fast it would take an extremely trained eye to see him well. It almost looked as if there were more than one of him. The ball came towards him at an awkward position in which he didn't catch the glance and the energy ball hit him right in his shoulder. He clutched his shoulder in pain and fell form his seat.  
  
"Training program terminated." Said the smooth, clean, almost perfect voice of the computer.  
  
"Shit." He said with very much apparent bitterness.  
  
"I guess you still can't beat level ten. It's a little sad my friend... but you have deffienettly improved. Your shoulder ok?" said Kid.  
  
"Yes its ok, and thanks for your concern, Captain," he said.  
  
He suddenly felt a feeling of being pulled, no, ripped form the world he was in he could not move or take on what was controlling him.  
  
He opened his eyes... he was back in the real world. SHWIWINK. He heard and felt the connector needle being pulled form his plug in the back of his head. He sat up.  
  
"You know for a computer program... it sure takes a lot out of you." He said.  
  
"I thought this was the kid who could bend spoons in the matrix without even thinking about it. You could even taught the One how to do it." Said the voice of his crewmate Zach.  
  
"Neo, his name was Neo, Zach. And I'm sure if we had done that kind of thing again he would've been able to bend more than a spoon, or actually, I should say, program information that came in the form of a spoon." Said Tetsujin. Testujin had been one of the other potentials as Neo was. He had talked with Neo and might have given him the most valuable advice Neo had ever gotten. And even though they had only talked and met for a couple minutes, Neo and Tetsujin had always had this... connection. Almost as if they were both linked to each other.  
  
Kid walked in. "Zach you can go back to your quarters." Zach nodded and left.  
  
"I was listenin' to your conversation, and you were talking about the One and how you could be better than him one day." Kid said to his friend Tetsujin.  
  
"I bet you don't even know what his name was." Tetsujin replied.  
  
"Hell man, I know what his name was. He was the one who freed me from the matrix. He set me free. He did. Although he liked to say ' I didn't find you, you found me.... You saved yourself.' I knew he was right. But he was there for me. In the short time I knew him." Said Kid.  
  
"Or he was utterly annoyed with you and couldn't stand you." Testujin replied. He knew it was not entirely true, but there was some truth to his statement, though to Kid- his trusted friend and captain- he meant it as a joke. "But I think he'd be proud of you. The youngest captain ever in the fleet, and captain of the Nebacanezzer II no less."  
  
"Actually, Admiral Morpheus is the commander of the Neb II," replied Kid.  
  
"Yes, but he's never here is he, so in theory you're really captain... and it is your rank. But you go on believing that everything you have earned is controlled by your superiors." Testujin responded quietly but his comment hit hard.  
  
"Ok, ok, your right, I am way to hard on myself sometimes. I also don't take enough credit for my achievements." Kid replied. "Captain Kid, of the Nebacanezzer II. I always liked the sound of that."  
  
"I have never asked you this, but why did you keep the name Kid. Are you gonna be 80 years old and want to be called that?" Testujin inquired.  
  
"Well first off, Neo gave me that name and he was, no is, my idol. And secondly, I always act like a Kid, but I can be deadly when needed to. I think it's real fitting." Kid replied.  
"Anyway, when are we heading back to Zion?" asked Tetsujin, not making a remark on Kid's reply to his question.  
  
"In 2 days. Tomorrow we have to go into the... uhhhhh... well matrix of the matrix actually. Zion has asked us to retrieve more info about the earth. We might head up a new city. So they need more info to make arrangements to start." Kid answered in his Captain tone.  
  
"Why don't we just ask our machine friends? Don't they have the same files?" Tetsujin asked.  
  
"Well they did, but only through the matrix. Once they shut it down they lost the info. So we need to go inside the matrix's matrix to retrieve it." Kid answered still as Tetsujin's captain.  
  
"Alright." Tetsujin replied.  
  
"Now get some rest, and take something for that shoulder." Kid said to Tetsujin.  
  
"Aye sir" replied Tetsujin already making his way to his quarters.  
  
* * *  
  
Troy was making his way through what used to be the matrix, looking for info on a loved one he had never found. He was looking for the databases.  
  
He saw a panel.  
  
"This must be it," He said out loud to himself.  
  
He opened up the menu. He saw a list of programs to choose from. Matrix history, human history, machine history, statis of matrix, old programs, The One, The Architect, The Oracle, The Merilveingian. The list seemed endless. Troy finally came upon it- old recipients of the matrix. He opened it up.  
  
"SELECT A NAME." Said the voice of the matrix help computer.  
  
"Djohr Majono." Troy said to the computer.  
  
Files came up about 10 of them, all possible people that could've been Djohr. He was looking through the list... when he saw a man as one of the possible candidates to be Djohr. Troy clicked on the mystery man. He was tall, although he appeared short, he was skinny but somewhat broad, he had his hair slicked in a wave haircut was wearing some boxy kind of shades, was dressed in a full gray, expensive-looking, suit, and had extremely expensive-looking, radiant shoes.  
  
Troy looked down to his statis, it read-matrix program, lethal to system, shut down, alter-One, once sentient program.  
  
Alter-One? Troy thought to himself Wasn't the One, Neo. Huh, this must've been the guy that messed up the matrix 10 years ago. I remember cailin' Neo 'my own personal Jesus Christ'. Turns out he was everyone's Jesus Christ.... In that case... this guy must be like the anti-Christ. I wonder why he would come up as a potential to be Djohr? Huh, well guess I should continue looking. Troy pressed a button Danm, wrong one. He clicked the right one this time. The program closed.... But the button he had pushed first was reload.  
  
Troy looked down at the panel when... a burst of what seemed like a million bright lights came out from the panel. It was so bright and came out so forcefully it knocked Troy down. He stared at the bright lights of grays, yellows, reds, and blacks. They started to create the form of a humanoid. It started taking shape. Then the features came in. The first feature was the sunglasses. The figure started moving towards Troy.  
  
"Holy shit." Troy said out loud. "Get away from me-shit- get away...GET AWAY!"  
  
But the figure was unmoved by Troy's plea for salvation. He got to Troy and bent down on one knee. He had evolved more; his hair was in a shape and he had a nose and a mouth. But he was still made up of those bright lights of red, yellow, gray, and black.  
  
"WHAT IS THE STATIS OF THE MATRIX?" it said seeming to be made up of more than one voice. It seemed to Troy that the computer was searching for its proper voice. Troy realized this was a computer program and he is taking form... reloading. "ANSWER YOU HUMAN PIECE OF SHIT!"  
  
In his gray suit, his shoes, and wave hair cut, he stood, tall menacing, and deadly.  
  
"Holy shit, you're the alter- One." Troy said to the figure of Agent Smith.  
  
"That's right, my friend. Now if you would be so kind as to tell me what the statis of the matrix is." Smith said to a petrified Troy. "No? You won't answer? Fine. It's your funeral." Smith said in the voice that would scare the scariest looking person alive. He bared his teeth at Troy, Smith was becoming extremely mad. "You are a human, you know of the matrix, or else you would not be n this place. NOW TELL ME WHAT ITS STATIS IS!!!!!!!!"  
  
Troy knew if he didn't say anything he would be punished, but it might be dangerous to say.  
  
In the matrix I was a guy who only cared about himself, no one else. I have a second chance at life to do good for other people... and I will do so. And with that Troy looked straight at Smith and spat in his face. "Fuck you." He said.  
  
Smith looked down at Troy. He smiled. Smith stood up, reached into his pocket... and pulled out a handgun. Troy knew what was about to happen.  
  
"Goodbye, Mr. Stralker." Smith aimed the gun at Troy's head... and fired 4 times. Each time a new bullet came, it would not create a new wound, but push the other bullets back farther in the same wound.  
  
Troy's head was torn apart. Sticky blood flowed from the back of his head, making a pool around him. Blood was drooling out of his mouth, falling to the floor.  
  
"Well then" Smith said. He looked over to the control panel Troy had been using previously. He opened up the statis of the matrix section.  
  
Humans still plugged in.... matrix was a threat to human beings... I know all of this already. Wait look at this. Smith looked down to matrix operation...-shut down. Its not deleted... but why? Ohh, there are still humans connected to the matrix... and because humans and machines are allies, the machines wouldn't kill some of their allies. Smith smiled wickedly. He clicked on matrix operation. He then clicked on options. He scrolled the list... but found nothing, until he found the reboot option.... Smith planned on rebooting the matrix and all its programs. But this time I'll control the matrix. I will be the "One" but I'll defend the matrix, not protect its inhabitants. It will be mine.  
  
"I'M SORRY MR. ANDERSON, BUT THE MATRIX IS MINE NOW! YOU WON THAT BATTLE, BUT YOU HAVE LOST THE WAR." Smith laughed maniacally. He pressed reboot. That's when everyone connected was integrated into the matrix.... "WELCOME TO MY WORLD!" he laughed maniacally once again....  
  
* * *  
  
Tetsujin was walking around a grassy area, similar to programs he had seen in the matrix. There was no one around. Tetsujin became slightly nervous.  
"Stop," said a voice. "What is your program name and function?"  
  
"I am not a program. I am human." Tetsujin turned around and saw the figure of a man who resembled an agent of the matrix.  
  
"Humans are banned from the matrix." The agent pulled out a gun. "You must be terminated." He undid the safety. He pulled the trigger-  
  
-Tetsujin woke up. It was a dream. A very strange dream nonetheless. Tetsujin stared at the wall of his room; he could not get any more sleep. While he was staring his room seemed to disappear. He closed his eyes. He could hear a very aggravating sound- no an almost painful sound. He could sense the people still connected in the towers, they were fighting against something he could not read what though. He was on the verge of figuring it out when... they cut off completely. The sound was burning Tetsujin's ears, he felt as if his eardrums would crack. He screamed out in pain. He was being pulled towards something, no, ripped, from his world. He screamed, but the sound drowned everything else out. He was connecting to a program..... Matrix.... A voice said. He couldn't hold on.  
  
The noise and the feelings ended. Tetsujin was drenched in his own sweat. He was sitting upright in his bed, exhausted, breathing and panting heavily. He felt as if he had just ran the whole distance of the earth.  
  
He was puzzled by his dream. Most of the time, his dreams feel real.... This time, it felt unreal... almost as if he was back inside the matrix. The sensations, so false, yet were so real. They only resembled realism, and he felt that same feeling, as if he could've bent spoons all day, as was when he was a child.  
  
He looked at his clock, it was close to waking time, 1 or 2 hours away. He could not sleep anymore. Tetsujin got up, walked out of his quarters, and headed for the mess room. As he was walking he realized something, at night, his crewmates, the ship, maybe even the world was quiet. He walked by the main deck, looked into the cockpit, and saw the Neb's autopilot going. It was searching for a clear broadcast point.  
  
Tetsujin walked past the deck, walked down the metal stairs that led to the mess room. The door was slightly ajar. Tetsujin peeked his head in, he saw his crewmate, Sela. Every time Tetsujin saw Sela he was confused, they had been friends for a very long time, and yet he saw her as beautiful, which she was.  
  
"I know you're there Tet." Sela said to Tetsujin. She was the only one who called him Tet, a nickname. "Can't sleep?"  
  
"No, I had enough sleep, I'm just... confused." He responded.  
  
"In what way?" Sela asked, obviously wanting to help her friend in any way she could.  
"Well, you know how there is the connection between me, and the people still plugged in?" Sela nodded. Tetsujin was psychic when it came to the matrix, but no one could ever find out why.... "Well, I had a dream, almost as if I was in the matrix again, and there was an agent, he asked questions, I answered, he tried to kill me. I woke up then. I was sitting in my bed, when this noise like a connection was being made between something, shrill, distorted. At first it was almost low, and I sensed the people still plugged in. They were calling out for help, almost as if something was pulling them somewhere, and the longer this went on, the more intense the noise became. I was in pain, when I ... woke up you could say, I was breathing heavily and was sweating. Then I came down here."  
  
"Well, that's something I've never heard before. To be truthful, I don't know how I can help you. But like I just did, I'll listen." Sela replied, wanting to create an explanation.  
  
"Thanks anyway, Sela. So, are we going into the matrix, matrix later?" Tetsujin asked.  
  
"If we can find broadcast point, yeah. This will be strange, going into the program that held us captive for so many years. I mean I know its shut down, but that essence, that knowledge will be in us." Sela said with a tad of nervousness in her voice.  
  
"If anything does happen, which it won't, I'll protect you. There will be no harm in bringing weapons, and I have a great knowledge of that program, it wont take us." Tetsujin said giving his services.  
  
"My bodyguard" Sela said softly. Tetsujin nodded. She went over to him, and embraced him tightly. He returned the gesture.  
  
"What's for breakfast?" Tetsujin asked jokingly.  
  
"Tasty wheat" Sela replied.  
  
They both laughed whole heartily.  
  
"Alright guys lets load this up. We have found broadcast point, and we are going in.," said the voice of the operator, Load. "Please keep your hands and feet inside of the vehicle at all times, there is no getting off once you go in, no worry of danger, just the same though, we have to keep up our dangerous appearance, so we'll be stopping off at the armory." Everyone was linked, Sela, Kid, Zach, Ratz, Zombie, and Tetsujin. "Are you ready?" They all nodded. "Enjoy your flight," He pressed load. They left the real world, and were entering the world of computer programs and machines.  
  
The crew was in the armory program.  
  
"Take what you need, no more no less, not like we'll need it, but don't dress, like we're going to fight a war." Said the voice of the crew's captain, Kid.  
  
Tetsujin looked at the guns, he took 2 handguns, with silver bullets, 2 Uzi's, and shotgun. He went over to the blade weapons, he took a pair of Sais, his own personalized Katana, which he wrote himself, 2 throwing axes, a few throwing knives, and throwing stars.  
  
"Jesus, Tetsujin," Zach said "Didn't kid say, not war."  
  
"These are my bare bottom basics.... Well, alright I'll leave the shotgun." Tetsujin left the shotgun where he was standing.  
  
Kid called up to Load. "We're all ready here, load us up Load."  
  
"That one never gets old sir" Load said sarcastically. "Just the same though, aye sir." The crew was being pulled from this program; they were going into what was left of the matrix....  
  
* *  
*  
  
Tetsujin was following his fellow crewmates; he felt the feeling of False reality.  
  
"Now where would those programs be located?" Kid asked. Their dark clothing stood out greatly in the vast whiteness. Tetsujin was wearing a black overcoat, unbuttoned, and pulled back to his sides. A collar shirt, dark blue, silk rested, under it, he wore black jeans, and had high boots, dark gray, and to top it all off, almost triangular sunglasses, no frame. He stood out like black ink on white paper. Tetsujin looked over to Sela. She was wearing tight leather pants, dark red, a low cut purple blouse, with a dark red leather jacket over it. She too stood out greatly. But he couldn't help but like it, her beautiful figure stood out greatly.  
  
"Let's find these files and get out of here," Kid said. The crew nodded.  
  
They started to walk around, in no particular direction. Tetsujin looked at his fellow crewmates. Even thought the program was shut down, they still felt scared, and suffocated by its false control.  
  
It's shut down now though, I have no need to- He looked straight ahead... and saw the unbelievable. What the hell? Tetsujin saw a park.  
  
"What is this?" Kid asked, feeling very uneasy.  
  
"The matrix" Tetsujin replied, though he wasn't exactly sure himself.  
  
"Impossible, it was shut down."  
  
"Yeah, but not deleted, anyone with access to the mainframe could have loaded it up."  
  
Kid looked around at his crew. They were panic-stricken. They stood still for a minute, and then they heard footsteps, the sound of shoes crunching the ground below them. Kid and Tetsujin turned around... and saw an agent of the matrix. They looked at each other and....  
  
"Run!!" Kid yelled.  
  
The agent attacked Kid and Tetsujin, swinging with his right fist. They split up to the left and right side of him. The agent's fist was coming towards Kid. Kid blocked, with his arm, while Tetsujin jumped and kicked the agent in the face. The agent's head snapped backwards, his glasses breaking. The agent brought his head forward, and his body followed, he went towards Tetsujin, throwing rapid punches, left, tetsujin ducked, right tetsujin blocked, right again, made contact with Tetsujin, he stumbled back a little. The agent was kicking at him, Tetsujin regained his repose, and kicked also, each kick cancelled each other out. Tetsujin's and the agent's leg were against one another. Tetsujin jumped up pushing against the agent's leg for support, and side kicked him, but before Tetsujin's leg could come all the way back the agent grabbed his leg, and threw him into a tree. Tetsujin fell, hurt. Kid came from behind the agent swinging, he hit him in the back of the head, the agent barely budged. The agent turned around and used the back of his hand to hit Kid. Kid ducked and balanced himself on his hand, and kicked outwards into the agent's chest. The agent flew backwards, and hit a tree. Tetsujin got up, pulled out one of the Uzi's he had taken, aimed it at the agent, and pulled the trigger. A stream of bullets flew into the agent's head. The gun emptied, the agent was dead, and his head was a bloody, gory, mess.  
  
"What the hell?" Kid asked Tetsujin.  
  
Tetsujin was thinking, What if, someone has rebooted the matrix? If that's the case everyone connected to it to one extent would be permanently, connected, it would take another century to gain back what we have achieved, and because, we're hooked in now, if we don't get out, we could become dependant on the system, as we were before. "We have to get out of here.... NOW!"  
  
Tetsujin and Kid ran as fast as their matrix body would let them. They caught up to the rest of the crew. Kid took out his phone and called Load.  
  
"Load what the hell is going on?"  
  
"You ain't gonna believe this sir but, the matrix is rebooting, the code is showing up on my screen, but only bits and pieces, its also different then it was 10 years ago, the code I mean, but I think if you don't get out now- " "We could become dependant on it" Tetsujin finished Load's statement.  
  
"Exactly" Load said.  
  
"Is there an exit, we can get?" Kid asked.  
  
"Well you're in New York city in the matrix, so..." Load said thinking out loud.  
  
Kid looked up and saw Times Square, or parts of it. "I can see that."  
  
"I got it, go to the far gates of central park, and once you run through it you should be out, but hurry up, I have calls from Zion, saying people are already being hooked in." Load said with urgency in his voice.  
  
Tetsujin looked behind him... and saw a wave of... something, but he had a gut feeling that was what connected you into the matrix. "RUN!!!!!!" he yelled.  
  
The crew ran as fast as they could, trying to be one step ahead of the wave. They entered central park, the wave right behind them. They ran as fast as they could, even still the wave was catching up. Sela tripped. Tetsujin looked back, and ran for her. She had hurt her ankle, he picked her up, the wave on his back, he ran with her, but the wave was catching him, I have to make it, I have to. He had a burst of energy run through him, all tiredness was eliminated. He ran ahead of the wave. The crew was already out; he threw Sela through the gate. She was out. Tetsujin dived for the gate, the wave on his back; he was just at the tip of the portal, when he saw something... or someone.... Smith.... Tetsujin heard Neo's voice, as he went through the portal, landed with a thud, and awoke in the real world. 


	2. the obviousness of the truth

Tetsujin was in the mess hall with his fellow crewmates. They were all trying to comprehend what happened in the matrix.  
  
"It was shut down. The machines shut it down themselves, we were there, now how the hell can it be up and running again?" said Ratz with apparent bitterness.  
  
"The machines didn't reboot it. And no way in hell we would." Zombie said adding his insight.  
  
"Load what exactly happened, why didn't u notice it before we even went in?" Kid asked his operator.  
  
"It showed up when u entered a certain point, sir. As soon as you stepped onto that grass, it showed up. But it wasn't a complete code. And there was massive distortion." Load could not provide valid information.  
  
"We know all this already. We should contact Zion and see what's goin on there." Sela offered.  
  
Tetsujin all the while was not listening. This conversation was extremely predictable. All Tetsujin could think about is the agent staring at his comrades and himself. And he remembered the suit. The face... and the smile. The maniacal smile. Like he knew something that everyone else was oblivious to. And as Tetsujin was thinking he realized something.  
  
"Now when we contact Zion, we should follow instructions to the fullest and-"Kid was cut short.  
  
"When the matrix was first established it spread all over wherever there was something that could pick it up. Once the matrix was shut down, we relinquished the firewalls we had setup. But now that its come back online, everyone connected by this time, will be dependant on the system. The main way of contacting the machines is hooking up. Which means anyone hooked up is now dependant on the system." Tetsujin said, stating his knowledge.  
  
The crew was staring at him. They knew he was right. Which meant some of the greatest minds alive now were now re-hooked into the matrix. And those great minds were probably the minds that discovered how to unhook people.  
  
"Then we're screwed. Most definitely great advisors, and commanders are hooked up. Shit." Said Kid.  
  
"If we could find out who started this, and how to get to them. We might be able to shut the matrix down." Sela replied.  
  
"Then we need to find a program that will explain things. A program that knows all that goes inside the matrix." Ratz said, leading up to something.  
  
"A program like that would only be found in the matrix itself. And we're not sure if it's safe to enter the matrix now." Load said.  
  
"There are a few possibilities right off the bat to go to. The oracle, -"Sela became cut off.  
  
"The Merovingian." Tetsujin finished Sela's thought. "He is the information source. Anything we wanted to know we could find from him, to a certain extent." Tetsujin said.  
  
"Yeah, but the Merovingian wants power more than anything in the entire world. And we can't just go running into the matrix and act like it was a normal mission, like they did ten years ago. We have to first make sure its safe to enter the matrix, then decide how to deal with the Merovingian." Zombie said, stating the obvious truth, but the truth nonetheless.  
  
"Then for right now we have to wait." Kid said.  
  
"We can't wait! We have to go and find out what the deal is before this becomes a problem, worse than it already is!" Tetsujin exploded. "Don't you understand??!? This is not something regular that would happen. This could be a huge problem! We have to eliminate it NOW!"  
  
"Tetsujin, calm down, we know that, but we could just be wasting our time, and destroying the only chance we have for rushing into this." Zach said. "Now sit down, and realize that this is bigger than us. We know how big this problem is. But we have to deal with it logically."  
  
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" Tetsujin was exploding, fuming.  
  
"LIUTENANT! YOU WILL SIT DOWN, CALM DOWN, AND BE QUIET OR YOU WILL BE RELIEVED OF DUTY. I AM YOUR CAPTAIN, AND YOU ARE MY JUNIOR OFFICER. MY SECOND OFFICER TRULY ENOUGH BUT YOU MUST LEARN TO CALM YOURSELF." Kid said in a loud voice taking control. "SIT DOWN LIUTENANT.... NOW!"  
  
Tetsujijn did as he was told, not liking it, but knew he couldn't win. Even when Kid was downsizing him, he couldn't help but admire the man. He knew how to take control.  
  
"We must wait, that's all that's in our power." Kid said regaining his repose. "Everyone needs rest, we'll go to bed and think this over."  
  
Everyone got up and began to leave. Tetsujin stayed where he was.  
  
"Tet, you need rest. We can't do anything. Just sleep" Sela said trying to reason with Tetsujin. "I know your angry-"  
  
"This isn't because of defiance. I respect and understand Kid more than anyone. This is because I can't sleep. I just need to stay here for a while." Tetsujin replied very calmly.  
  
Sela tilted her head, and just looked at Tetsujin. She smiled, went over to him, and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight Tet"  
  
She departed. Tetsujin just kept staring at her, speechless. He was alone in the mess room. The lights dimmed. And Tetsujin sat there staring, thinking, not moving, trying to understand....  
  
* * * 


	3. ignorance of man and machine

Not to shabby Smith thought to himself walking through the Matrix, its programs loading before him. The shops, the streets, the roads, the buildings, all false, all made to fool its human inhabitants. And to think he controlled it all. The Matrix was his. He controlled the agents, the architect, the oracle. The humans could no longer use it to free their fellow humans plugged in, Smith would make sure of that.  
  
He also smiled of the fear he had created. He had seen the group of humans run to be free from a simple computer program. It had given him joy, to see them frightened. But there was that last human, who had given the order to run. The wave was spreading, and assimilating, yet when one of his comrades fell, he went over to her, without fear. Smith had to admire him, but the human reminded him much too much of his counterpart...Neo.... And this human also fought the agent without fear. But once Smith made the Matrix into what he saw fit, that human as well as all humans wouldn't even dare speak the name of the Matrix.  
  
Then again, I have no idea what happened to Mr. Anderson.... Maybe the Merovingian will know. No mistakes. Smith continued to walk, a slight bit of concern in his mind.  
  
* * *  
  
It was still night aboard the Neb II. Tetsujin was walking around the magnificent ship. He walked down the metal stairs to the loading area. He saw his friend Ratz sitting down at the operator's station. If race had still been a factor in the current world, Ratz would have been Asian. He had an all red eye, which came from a problem in unhooking him from the matrix; the eye resembled the eye of a Rat, which is why he was called Ratz.  
  
"Tetsujin, you should be asleep, you need to 'reboot' your mind." Ratz laughed.  
  
"Were you referring to the matrix being rebooted, or do you always think of things in a computer fame of mind?" Tetsujin asked pissed off.  
  
"Look man, I know your feelin like shit 'cuz boss cut your idea, but you gotta get over it man. If it makes you feel any better, we can go into loading, training, and simulation programs now. The Matrix ain't quite loaded yet though." Tetsujin looked at the screen, the code was moving slowly, changes coming in every second.  
  
"Speaking of sleep Ratz, why are you up?" Tetsujin inquired, wanting to change the subject.  
  
"Restless, tired, anxious. I wanna find out exactly why the Matrix is back up, and what we're gonna do to stop it." Ratz replied.  
  
Tetsujin's move of avoiding the subject failed. Inevitable I suppose. It's not something people are going to take lightly. He thought to himself.  
  
"Realize my friend that this will take a long time to resolve. It's not going to be something we're going to resolve over night." Tetsujin said explaining something that he himself had just figured out.  
  
Ratz looked away, an aggravated face on display. He knew Tetsujin was right, but he didn't want to believe it. Ratz's eye was twitching, a sign he was in a deep state of thinking. Tetsujin had always wondered, as everyone had, how Ratz's eye became like that.  
  
As if reading his mind, Ratz answered Tetsujin's question to himself.  
  
"Have you ever wondered why my eye is like it is?" Tetsujin nodded. "Well as far as you and everyone else knows, locating and unhooking me was difficult, they could almost not complete the trace to find me, I was in almost completely in arrest, but they found me, and I was unhooked. I was in the process of becoming the machines' battery forever, no matter what. But I was unhooked, while the process was occurring. I woke up and saw nothing but red, my body had an extremely hard time releasing itself from the plugs. And there was a process by which they would seal my eyes to completely preventing if I ever did manage to get out, I would be useless, and would be seeing the matrix in front of my eyes, but my surroundings would be completely different. They did it eye by eye, one eye was finished, and then I was found, and released. The cords ripped themselves off me, the back of my head, the main plug, almost took my brain with it when it was taken out, and my eyes were blinded. If no one has ever told you, it was extremely hard to rebuild me. Especially my optics... we almost never have to work on that, but in my case they did, they had to find spare parts, to make me function adequately. But they could never have rebuilt my eye. So I can see fine out of it, but I see things almost as a machine would. I see readings, and the matrix is more code than anything to me. And it is all in red. So... if you were ever wondering, that's my story."  
  
Tetsujin was speechless.  
  
"And if your wondering, I saw you looking at my eye, as everyone does, even if they've known me as long as you have. And I knew the question you were asking yourself. So I answered my friend. Maybe that's why I want to go into the matrix... not to save the human beings connected to it, but to settle the score with the machines that did this to me." Tetsujin had no words. "Well Tetsujin, I'm tired, see ya tomorrow, hopefully we can do what you want us to do then."  
  
Ratz got up off the chair, and went to his quarters. Tetsujin just stared at the Matrix and realized, if you had been connected to the matrix, at any time, in some way, bug or small, it was an abuser, and you were its victim. Tetsujin looked at the operator's chair, and sat down, staring at the Matrix, hating whoever it was that rebooted it. And knew if he ever found out who and why they rebooted the Matrix... Tetsujin would kill them without hesitation....  
  
* * *  
  
Seraph opened his eyes; he was sitting in a teahouse, his teahouse. He looked around at his surroundings, the tables and the cups, and the bamboo that was in the room. Seraph knew something was out of order. Why am I here? I thought once I finished protecting the oracle or once the matrix would shut down, I would go back to the source. And I believe one of those two things has occurred. Well if the matrix had been shut down, I would never come back here, for this is inside the matrix, or if I have finished protecting her, then I would be at the source and would have no reason to come back here. I remember the first time I was here like this suddenly was when the matrix was first up. But it was never shut down, just restarted. And if I have no memory, then the matrix must have been shut down... and rebooted.  
  
Seraph realized what has happened, he looked outside and saw the incomplete parts of the matrix loading. He remembered what happened now. The One had disposed of Smith, so humans were released, and the matrix was shut down. So it must have been rebooted... but by whom?  
  
The handle of the door was turning, Seraph snapped his head towards the movement, he did not remember this ever happening before.  
  
The door opened, and Seraph fell, he looked at his chest, a hand was inside it. Seraph looked up, and saw Smith. He was terrified. He felt like he had never had before, he felt emotion.  
  
"Seraph my friend, you should have realized sooner what has happened. But its to late now, in a matter of moments, you will be under my control. And there's nothing you can do. I will not make the same mistakes as last time." Smith said feeling very pleased.  
  
"There is one... who c-can... defeat ...y-y-you his n-name is..." Seraph could not finish.  
  
Smith needed this information. "WHO?!? ANSWER ME NOW! ANSWER!!!" Smith screamed at Seraph interrogating him fiercely.  
  
"...T-T-......Tets-........" Seraph became under Smith's control, and did not finish. "I do not remember." Seraph replied.  
  
Smith bared his teeth, and growled. "Well in that case, I'll consult the Merovingian. Thank you for your partial help. Now sit down, drink your tea, and if anyone comes looking for you, me or anyone I control... Kill them." Smith gave his orders.  
Seraph nodded in agreement. Yes Smith, I will play your game, ignorance and cockiness will be your downfall....  
  
Smith walked out, closed the door behind him, and went off to find the Merovingian. 


	4. arrogant action

Kid was the first up on his ship. He took a walk around, checked the autopilot, making sure it was functioning normally. He took a walk down to the core to make sure all systems were operating within acceptable parameters. He looked at the time, and saw it was close to waking time. In a few minutes he'd raise the lights and get the crew up. This was an everyday normal morning for Kid. He took a seat in the operator's chair, turned on the screen... and saw the Matrix.  
  
"Holy shit" Kid said to himself, not wanting to believe it was up. "It can't be, it should take more time than this" He was using every excuse he could think of to deny it, but there it was, sitting in front of him, the green color of the code sliding down the screen in neat perfect rows.  
  
Kid rose the lights, meaning everyone had to get up. They had to be informed, and action must be took...  
  
They all just stood around the screen, staring. No words were exchanged because there was nothing anyone could think of that would be new news.  
  
Tetsujin though, could fully believe it. He knew, he saw, and understood these things more than his crewmates. Maybe it was because in his youth the Matrix had controlled him, but he could alter small things. He could remake things in the Matrix as he saw fit, but never anything big or helpful. He could bend spoons, fix broken things perfectly, among other things all with his mind, that is what made him a potential, he was so young, so powerful, and could possibly as time went on, completely remake the Matrix as he saw fit. Nevertheless, this did not surprise Tetsujin, which was why he was going to go into the Matrix and get some answers.  
  
"We have to contact Zion now, and get the answers we need" Zombie said.  
  
"Negative, their mainframe might be crawling with the Matrix, if we connect to them in any way, it might take over our ship" Tetsujin replied strongly, and firmly.  
  
"Tetsujin's right, we have to play this game smoothly, no room for mistakes, or it's all over." Kid answered, having the last word, a captain's prerogative.  
  
Everyone nodded and went back to do whatever it was they needed to do. There was a certain sense of doom in the air. It was as if people had given up, and there was nothing they could do.  
  
And they were correct, without any basis for knowledge, they were defenseless. That's why someone had to take action, and risk themselves to find out information. Everyone went to mess room for breakfast. Tetsujin however, stood at the operator's area, staring at the Matrix.  
  
Sela looked back and saw that Tetsujin wasn't coming. "Are you going to eat breakfast, Tet?"  
  
He shook his head. "No, not now at least, I don't really feel hungry."  
  
"Alright" Sela nodded. "Don't get to worried, we'll do something." Sela walked out to go to the mess room.  
  
Once he was sure everyone was gone, Tetsujin walked over to his chair, set up to go into the Matrix. He was going in no matter what anyone said.  
  
He lay down, grabbed the needle, slid it up his own head, shut his eyes, and felt himself being pulled away from the real world, to the machine computerized world.  
  
He was in the construct, his residual self image, had already taken effect. His long black trench coat, his army style black boots, his dark grey jeans, and his tight dark grey shirt that showed off his muscular structure a bit. His sunglasses had no frame, black, in a wide octagonal shape.  
  
He took a walk towards the weapons. He had quite a few holsters all over his body. He took two Uzi's, four revolvers-all with silver bullets-, two twelve-gages, a rifle, a shotgun, a pair of black octagon sais, his very own personal Katana, some throwing stars, and a dagger.  
  
He was ready to be loaded into the Matrix....  
  
* * *  
  
The Matrix code, started to turn red in a couple of places, apparently in this rebooted Matrix, the code is a different color, and the last wave was spreading over the system.  
  
But there was no one there to notice. And no one had noticed Tetsujin had gone into the unloaded Matrix....  
  
* * *  
  
Seraph had been monitoring movement inside the Matrix. No one had come in yet because the rebooting process wasn't complete. Humans are smart, but how would they know it was not finished, the code will be a different color. Maybe they just have felt they lost and there's nothing they can do and won't go into the Matrix, maybe they're afraid of it, or maybe-  
  
Seraph sensed a human coming into the Matrix of his own free will. –What is this? Tetsujin? What is he doing in here; I have not seen him since before Neo started to fulfill the prophecy. Is he on a ship? I must go to him, I must help him.  
  
Seraph remembered that he had to act as if he was under Smith's control for a while. But I do not think Smith will mind if I go and pick a fight.  
  
* * *  
  
Tetsujin was walking around an area that seemed somewhat like a Japanese trading town. I would have liked to be in New York, no doubt the Merovingian will be somewhere in an area such as that.  
  
Tetsujin heard music going on speakers, metallic rock with a bit of techno integrated. It was coming from the music shop across the street, apparently they had a permit to play loud music in public, either that, or no one cared.  
  
He looked at the bystanders, it was like no one noticed him, standing there, looking like he should be fighting a war. Strange He thought they don't even look at me.  
  
* * *  
  
This is interesting, the first human that willingly has gone into my Matrix. And yet it isn't finished. Well I shall see that he gets a grand warm welcome. Smith was sitting in a control center, in a single chair with multiple screens in different positions and heights showing different parts of the Matrix. If it were not for the screens, the center would be completely dark.  
  
Well there is always one man who wants to commit suicide. This must be him. Smith laughed out loud. Maybe once he sees that he is not welcome, he'll turn back, or he'll die, either way, he is in- Smith pressed a button – for a fight!  
  
* * *  
  
The people stopped. Their eyes turned a disturbing, frightening, dark, blue, their eyes glowed and shone like blue fire in the dark. They lurched their heads toward Tetsujin.  
  
Tetsujin saw the devilish site. His eyes widened, he had never heard or experienced anything of this nature in the Matrix. The zombies started towards Tetsujin. He wasn't sure if these were programs of the Matrix, or humans being controlled by a greater power.  
  
Tetsujin put his hands into fists, and put them in a fighting stance, he knew what was coming... and accepted it full-on.  
  
The zombie-like being came running towards Tetsujin his hand in a fist. He swung hard at Tetsujin's face. Tetsujin caught the drone's punch and threw him against one of the buildings. The rest of the zombies came at Tetsujin, he needed room to fight or else he was done. He waited until they were around him trying to get at him. He bent down and jumped out of the mob, his jump was one only able to be done in the Matrix.  
  
He landed in the middle of the street, the mob right on his tail. He swung his leg at the closest attacker; the zombie flew to the ground. Multiple attackers were upon Tetsujin. He focused into a Matrix state of mind, making it easier to anticipate and react.  
  
Three zombies came at Tetsujin first drawing their hands back as if to punch-Tetsujin beat them to it though. In a single swinging punch he got the three of them down. He kicked behind him, and nailed a drone right in the stomach, the drone fell clutching his stomach. Tetsujin jumped up high and kicked a drone in the face with his foot, with his free foot he dug his heel into a drones nose, both fell. A drone grabbed him from behind and squeezed, Tetsujin used his weight to pull the drone up on his back so he was in control; Tetsujin then flipped intending to land on his back. He did so, crushing the drone under him. He then jumped from his back into two drones in front of him, they fell. A drone from behind came up and flung Tetsujin up from his feet, a drone in front of Tetsujin then kicked Tetsujin while he was in midair. Tetsujin flew into a wall, causing it to break, and making Tetsujin fall. Tetsujin got up and flew straight into two close drones, his feet forward. He flew into a drone straight in front of him, still holding onto the two drones with his arms. He landed on his feet, threw the drones upwards and when they were close enough elbowed each in the chest. A drone was to the side of him about 10 feet away. Tetsujin got a running start and did a cartwheel, his support- the drone. He held onto the drone's legs, and smacked another drone with his foot. He then took the drone he held onto and flipped him, and flung him into a large group of drones. He looked around and saw the group had been dealt with.  
  
Holy shit. That was crazy. Tetsujin breathed easy. Didn't even waste any of my guns. Good, I might need them.  
  
Tetsujin heard a noise, it sounded like a thudding, but multiple times. The sound grew louder and louder. It was as if a group was running together. Tetsujin put two & two together. Oh shit!  
  
Tetsujin was right a new group of zombies turned the corner, each of them carrying weapons- guns.  
  
Tetsujin reacted quickly. He pulled two revolvers from their holsters and began to fire at the new mob. BANG, one of the drones dropped. BANG another flew back body first. BANG, BANG, two drones dropped tumbling. Tetsujin's accuracy and aim were dead on. With each shot he killed another drone. They however were not stupid. They took their own weapons and started to set them, the clips were inserted. Tetsujin was now firing at each close drone, making sure they did not get to use their weapon. He had 8 drones down already. They were getting closer and their guns were ready. They aimed their weapons at Tetsujin. He fired his remaining 4 shots from his revolvers, 4 more drones fell, but it was not enough, there were at least 15 drones left, and he had no time to draw his last two pistols, or any other weapon he had for that matter. They began to fire. He tuned into the bullets heading towards him. He sensed their presence approaching him; they were almost upon him when- he ducked. Another came right after the first he leaned back as far as his back would take him. Another he dodged it, the bullet just narrowly missing his head. His movements were as perfect and confident, as an agent's would be. The bullets stopped coming. The drones set more clips, and Tetsujin was worn out.  
  
A shout rang out- "STOP!" – and the drones put their weapons down. They turned their heads towards the area from which the shout came from. Smoke was in the air, but as if there was some work of dramatics going on, it cleared.  
  
Seraph stood there his hand out as if instilling fear and control in the drones. He was staring straight at Tetsujin. He put his hand down, and started walking towards Tetsujin, his eyes still upon him.  
  
It's Seraph. Thank the Gods. Finally a familiar face. Tetsujin released the breath he was holding. They must obviously be afraid of him.  
  
Seraph continued towards Tetsujin. "Seraph, do you remember me? It's- "Seraph punched Tetsujin in the stomach, full force. Tetsujin fell to the ground, knocked out.  
  
"Tetsujin, yes I know." Seraph completed Tetsujin's sentence. "Smith, no longer need for these drones, I will take care of the human."  
  
The drones' eyes returned to normal. Smith had obviously agreed. The humans continued about their business.  
  
Seraph picked up Tetsujin, put him on his shoulder, and began to walk away.  
  
"In case you are wondering Smith, I want him awake when I kill him." Seraph said, obviously knowing Smith heard him. But Smith cannot see everything in the Matrix, and cannot react to everything that happens. He is either very gullible for going along with my game, or he is very smart, and has his own way of wanting things to turn out. Hopefully it is not the latter.... And with that Seraph walked off, Tetsujin on shoulder, to his teahouse. 


	5. betrayal, lonliness, and control

The heavy breathing emanating from his chest, the cool air filling his lungs, the taste of the air, dry. He felt it all, falsely. He knew it was false, but wanted, needed, it to be real. The world was too much, digital and real. To many responsibilities were piled on mankind.  
  
He opened his eyes, he saw darkness at first. An engulfing, welcoming. darkness. It took him in. He lay on what seemed like a soft floor, a blanket under him. His weapons were removed. His clothes were on. His coat covering him.  
  
He sniffed the air; he smelt a strong yet welcoming aroma. Tea. Green tea to be exact. Tetsujin remembered what that tasted like, and felt happy. The real world hardly had anything anymore.  
  
He wanted to move, but fatigue took over him. So he just lay. And realized he had failed to do what he had come inside to do. His mission ended by someone, who Tetsujin thought a friend. The whole situation baffled him so. He felt then as if he should just give up, and let the Matrix take him.  
  
"I thought you were stronger than that my friend." Tetsujin heard a voice, a familiar voice, and the voice of the man or machine, whatever he was, that betrayed him. Seraph. "I did not betray you. I must put on an act. At this time, we are not being watched. So I can speak freely, and drop the act."  
  
Tetsujin rolled over to face the direction from which the voice came. He saw the silhouetted figure of Seraph. The figure was there, and Tetsujin saw part of his face, illuminated by flame.  
  
"Would you like some tea?" Seraph asked as if this were a normal situation, and as if Tetsujin had come for a visit.  
  
"It's not real." Tetsujin replied simply.  
  
"Just because it is not real, does not mean you cannot drink it. I remember when you did not know of the Matrix, you loved tea. Why do you refuse it so now?" Seraph asked.  
  
"Yes I used to love it, but I will know it's not real, and all it will do is taunt me, and make me want to return to the Matrix, oblivious. For one of its programs you forget that the Matrix is designed to control humanity plugged in and unhooked alike." Tetsujin said answering Seraph's question.  
  
Seraph nodded, but handed Tetsujin a cup anyway. "If you know it is not real than it will not take control of you." He poured the tea.  
  
"I'm sorry for snapping. I haven't been inside the Matrix in about 10 years. It's hard. When you get used to something it's easy to forget and learn to accept it. But when you have gone through that, and not gone for a while, when you return it's hard. I have to relearn." Tetsujin responded. He looked at the tea. "What the hell" he took a sip.  
  
Seraph also took a sip. "Of course, I could be putting on an act for you as well. Being a double agent but really siding with your enemy." Tetsujin stopped drinking and looked towards Seraph. "If you wish to be cautious, you should have waited to see if I would take a drink first, or else you could have been poisoned, and you would be dead. Did I teach you nothing?" Seraph was starting to bring Tetsujin's defenses back up. "Good, you are becoming cautious again. In this new Matrix, so to speak, you must always stay cautious, you know nothing about it."  
  
Tetsujin understood the point Seraph was trying to put across. Trust no one, no matter whom. Even if you had been acquainted with them before, this is a new Matrix, which no one knows anything about. Therefore, no one can be trusted.  
  
"Seraph, answer this for me. Is the Merovingian present in this Matrix?" Tetsujin asked, regaining some hope for his mission.  
  
"Yes, he has been in his nightclub hideout. Why do you ask?" Seraph did not want, nor need, Tetsujin to commit any stupid deed.  
  
"I have to get information from him." Tetsujin replied quietly.  
  
"You plan on fighting him. I know you do. You did not bring all those weapons to fight those zombie creatures. You did not even know about those." Seraph said.  
  
"Yes, but those weapons will be needed to get to him. I have to go through many guards." Tetsujin replied as an excuse.  
  
"If that is your mission, I am inclined to help any way I can. And whether you want me to or not, I will help." Seraph stood up. Tetsujin did also.  
  
Seraph went to a closet and got out Tetsujin's weapons. He gave them to him. Tetsujin got them on, and then put his coat on. Seraph grabbed a pair of handguns.  
  
"After this, there is no turning back. Are you ready to begin this battle?" Seraph tested Tetsujin's motives.  
  
"Yes, I am positive."  
  
"Then-"Seraph snapped his head to the door. The handle was turning. Seraph motioned for Tetsujin to be still and quiet. Seraph quietly bolted the door. The door started to shake. Someone was trying to get in.  
  
"SERAPH!" shouted a voice from the other side. "I CONTROL YOU, AND IF I DIDN'T I AM NOT A TOTAL FOOL. YOU CAN'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM ME!"  
"We must go." Seraph said unusually calmly. Tetsujin turned towards a wall. They were moderately thin. Tetsujin stiffened his shoulder. Got into a ramming position, ran towards the wall. He threw all his weight into the ram. The wall buckled before him. Tetsujin flew through. "That will work" Seraph responded.  
  
Tetsujin got up, and both Seraph and himself, ran as fast as their feet would take them.  
  
The door flew off its hinges. Smith walked in the room. He saw the broken down wall. But did not run after Seraph and the boy, were he still an agent of the system he would, but not now.  
  
_I obviously misjudged Seraph; he must be stronger than last time I took control of him. Ah, well_. Smith thought to himself.  
  
Smith began to walk out, but stopped, looked over his shoulder, grabbed the door on the floor, and placed it back on its hinges. He walked out.

  
  
Zach was the first done with his breakfast. He walked to the operator's chair to check on the Matrix. Funny how Tetsujin didn't join us. He always loves to talk with us. Well, I suppose stress does that to you.  
  
Zach got to the operators station. The Matrix was red in some places. He could also read it better. He saw... Tetsujin. He snapped his head to Tetsujin's station. Tetsujin had plugged himself in. Zach ran back to the mess room.

  
  
Zion was completely lifeless. Or at least so quiet it seemed that way. The usually illuminated towers, and levels, stood there now dark, and desolate. No life, or sign of life, in the city.  
  
Zee walked through Zion. She was the only, or one of the only, humans not to be plugged in to any kind of program when the Matrix rebooted. Link was one of the people who had been plugged in. So had their 2 children. Ana had been practicing her Tai chi, and Derak had been listening to old music of the last, human civilization.  
  
She felt so alone; she had no one to go to. Just herself, and Zion. She had tried to find food, but all the quarters had been locked down. This was so hard.  
  
She also felt bad for her Nephew, Load. She had no idea about his whereabouts. He was operating on the Nebacanezzer II. She did not find out his fate.  
  
Worst of all. She had no idea what had happened to her leader, the human leader. Morpheus had not been seen in a long time. And Zee prayed to her Gods that he had not been taken over by the Matrix. Because if he had, there was almost no hope.  
  
Its time like these where she wished Neo were still around. But that were more impossible of finding out, than Morpheus's fate.  
  
For Zee, all hope was lost.

The machines had not been able to contact Zion. There head been some malfunction at first, a firewall had been established, now there was another program that kept the machines out.  
  
The humans were their allies. If there were a problem the machines would do what they needed to, to help.  
  
The machines were connected to the mainframe node. They were trying to hack Zion; at this point it was all they could do.  
  
They came upon the program that was blocking the machines out. They recognized this program. They had created it, The Matrix. The Machines got taken over within a few minutes.... 


	6. the never

Darkness, was an abyss... Abyss was entrapment... Entrapment was the Matrix. The abyss of control, false reality. That abyss, was a counterfeit world. Created to fool humanity. There were people, who did not mind it...  
  
But only because, they were not aware of it...  
  
This, and only this, a computer program, is what kept humanity, from its redemption... 


	7. Alterinterior Reality

"Shit." Was all Kid could say. The crew stared at the screen, speechless, afraid.  
  
"I'm gonna kill him when he gets out." Sela said.  
  
"Well its apparent what needs to be done." Ratz stated, "We need to jack in and get Tetsujin out." The crew stared at Ratz as if first noticing his red eye. "Who knows, he might be onto something in there, either way, it's better if we jack in and help him, with either what he's doing, or help him get out."  
  
"No, the Matrix isn't done loading, it'll consider us a part of the system, going in is suicide. Tetsujin was a huge dumbass to go in, in the first place. He'll be the prisoner of his own demise." Zombie stated with feeling.  
  
"Yeah, you could be right... then again, that speech could be your excuse to not go in." Ratz hit a chord there.  
  
"Are you calling me a coward?" Zombie asked ready to pounce if the answer did not please him.  
  
"Yeah." Zombie lunged for Ratz,  
  
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FUCKING PROGRAM DID TO ME? THOSE FUCKING MACHINES, TOOK AWAY MY FAMILY! I WON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!!!." Ratz threw Zombie off him.  
  
"First off, it wasn't the machines that restarted the Matrix, Zion confirmed that, secondly, the program is to blame, if you have a score to settle go in and fight it. How the hell do you think I feel? That piece of shit program made me a social outcast, but I've dealt, but ya know, I'm gonna settle that score when I go in." Zombie got up, calmed down. "Are you with me?" Zombie hesitated at first, but nodded in agreement.  
  
"You know, after that scuttle, I have the authority to deny you permission to jack in..." Ratz and Zombie nodded, like they were little kids being scolded. "But, we all deserve revenge, let's go start some shit."  
  
The crew cried out in excitement. They were all pumped.  
  
Load jacked everyone in. "Ready," they nodded, "set," they nodded, "...go." He pressed the button.  
  
Tetsujin and Seraph were still running, they were in the sewage system now.  
  
"It was foolish of you to enter the Matrix when you did." Seraph said as they ran.  
"Why? Isn't the Matrix loaded up fully?" They jumped over a sewage dam.  
  
"It might have seemed such, but no." Seraph turned right, Tetsujin followed.  
  
"So am I part of this system?" He splashed a puddle.  
  
"No there is still time for you to leave, but you need your crew to do that." They tumbled through a tight squeeze.  
  
"Fuck." Tetsujin felt extremely stupid. There was a half block at an angle, Tetsujin ran up the side of the wall to avoid it, and flipped back to his regular position once through. Seraph did the same.  
  
"What of Smith? How does he have so much power?" Tetsujin asked.  
  
"Smith was the one who rebooted the Matrix, he can now control any program he chooses. But he is new to the control aspect; he hasn't learned all the "ropes" yet. He has to teach himself how to do so, also." Seraph dived through a hole in a wall, Tetsujin followed.  
  
"Meaning if we act now, we can stop him before this becomes a bigger problem than it already is."  
  
"Correct" Seraph replied.  
  
"What happened to Neo?" Tetsujin felt it important to ask this question considering he was the only one to ever defeat Smith.  
  
"I do not know, but there is one who might." They turned left.  
  
"The Merovingian." Tetsujin did not need to think about that answer.  
  
"Yes, so we must find him." Seraph laid out the plan.  
  
"My first mission." Tetsujin stated. Seraph nodded.  
  
They continued to run.  
  
Zee was trying to make her way to control. She had to take the secret passages. Nothing was working. This upped the difficulty a bit.  
  
Every new passageway, every new strategy, every new obstacle, all made Zee want to push on, and give up at the same time. She had to find the fate of her children, and her husband.  
  
Zee climbed up a ladder, it was a long way down if she fell. She might have well had closed her eyes, Zion was dark. Her touch was her only safe-box. Zee reached the platform she was aiming to come to. She sat down.  
  
She looked out, at the dark city. She wondered if anyone else had not been plugged in. She did not believe she was the only one not plugged in, but even so, she felt alone. She held her luck chain. She went to put it on; a gust of wind blew it out of her hands, down into the dark abyss, in which she had just come from. For some reason, the oxygen vents were still online. Apparently either someone had brought it back online, or the one who was controlling the Matrix wanted Zion's people to live.  
  
Either way, Zee wished, that air system had not been on. That way she would have to bear this hurt.  
  
She almost wished she could have been plugged in as well. Everyone in Zion could now. But by thinking that, she was letting the Matrix win...  
  
She did not care.  
  
"We're in." Kid called up to Load.  
  
"Right," Load replied. "Now I'm still trying to find Tetsujin, so you guys should maybe head towards the city. I'll contact you once I confirm his location."  
  
"Affirmative." Kid hung up.  
  
Zombie looked around. "I never thought I would have to come back in this hell of a paradise."  
  
"None of us did. But we can't control the events that happen to us. But we can control how we interpret those events. Basically, don't fall so far into hatred that you can't fight this thing." Zach said.  
  
Ratz stood facing a park. He bent down and stroked the grass. The dew made his hand wet. He stared at his hand. "It seems so real. But it feels so constricting, how could we not have realized we were in a prison. Maybe the human race is not meant to be free; maybe... maybe this is our fate. We continue to come back to it. Even though I know this is not real, it certainly feels real. How do we know that our other world isn't the Matrix? Maybe this is the real world. Or maybe neither is real. Or maybe both are real. How do we know we just aren't some story someone is reading, and while they are reading it, we are real?" Ratz continued to stare off, his back turned to his crew.  
  
"Who knows? No one will ever know. We just have to deal with things the way they are presented to us." Sela answered all of Ratz' questions in one simple answer.  
  
Ratz did not do anything. He just continued to stare.  
  
"Ratz?"  
  
Ratz turned to his crew. "Well if that's how we have to do things." Ratz smiled. "Let's waste this bastard." 


End file.
